Why should Apple care? It is AT&T that wants captive customers. Apple may have to pretend to lock them, to get AT&T interested, but it is in Apple's interest to sell as many of the things as it can.

In an admittedly intriguing move, Apple has decided that it will "no longer accept cash for iPhone purchases," and moreover, each individual will only be allowed to buy two (on plastic, of course) in an effort to "stop people from reselling them."

Why should they care? If they can bring higher prices on eBay, why does Apple not just start selling them on eBay?

More specifically, spokeswoman Natalie Kerris stated that the company is "requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers," so don't even bother bringing the greenbacks if you're lookin' to grab an iPhone from Apple.